Molina seeks L.A. County boycott of Arizona

Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina introduced a motion Wednesday that would authorize the county to boycott Arizona unless it suspends or repeals its controversial immigration law.

The motion, which was co-sponsored by Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, would direct county officials to suspend all travel to Arizona and investigate withdrawing county investments and canceling contracts.

Molina spokeswoman Roxane Marquez said the supervisor realizes that the immigration system is broken but believes that the Arizona law is the wrong way to address the problem.

"Our goal is to take a strong stand against what we feel is a very unconstitutional law," Marquez said. "We feel it is wrong to single out any group for harassment, intimidation or arrest solely on the basis of ethnicity, race or cultural attributes."

The proposal was quickly criticized by Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who called the idea "stupid."

"This knee-jerk reaction to support lawbreakers at the expense of law-abiding legal immigrants and other residents is irresponsible," Antonovich said in a statement.

He said elected officials have taken an oath to enforce federal laws and that the board should focus its energy on holding federal officials accountable for the immigration problem.

The Arizona law requires police to determine the immigration status of anyone they stop and suspect is in the country illegally. It also makes it a state crime to lack proper immigration papers in Arizona.

Top Justice Department officials have drafted a legal challenge asserting that Arizona's law is unconstitutional because it impinges on the federal government's authority to police the nation's boders, The Times reported Wednesday.

--Robert J. Lopez

Comments

[syscom3]

Arizona should start sending all the illegals they catch right to LA County. Let the County Board of Supervisors deal with them.

[erics]

go ahead and Ignite all Los Angeles and its surrounding areas.

You Politicians are terrible and really need to listen to what the PEOPLE want..

Keep chosing Illegals over Americans and it will be the Americans to show you just what we are made of..

[Robert]

Once again, politicians thinking that they know better than everyone else. Most polls show wide support for the law. However, in typical fashion, the politicians do whatever they want to do and not represent the people as a whole. I wonder if they even know how to read.

[E.S]

@ syscom3, please LA cant handle the budget associated with the ones they already have on the books, and have the absurdity to cast stones at Arizona because they dont want to follow California's example. I say keep standing Arizona, your fight to save America is no in vain.

[irrosey2]

I went to Gloria Molina's facebook page out of curiosity. (I went to school in Lakewood with someone by same name). I found out her father is Mexican-American, mother Mexican. Seems to be a lot of racist things going on there in the entries. (Hispanic only). Does she serve all the people in her constituency, or only the Hispanic ones? I would have the same question for Raul Grijalva if I didn't live in the same state he does and already know the answer to that. By the way, there are a lot of Hispanic LEGAL Americans living in AZ that support the bill. From what I've read on the news websites of the states that are boycotting us, most citizens of those states disagree with their out-of-touch elected officials that are doing the boycotting. By the way,
check out the comments at http://community.comcast.net/comcastportal/board/message?board.id=news&message.id=1636264
According to the constitution, it may be illegal to boycott another state, and perhaps some companies or officials in CA can be sued for their boycott of AZ.

[Will]

Molina grow up.
Remember there's 2 types of racism. Including people because of there color. And excluding them because of there color. You've decided to support a foreign country that you really have no ties to at all, over the very country that probably kissed your butt growing up. The United States needs to split up because of people like you. You support free medical, education, police, & fire services for anybody so you can feel good about yourself. Turn your back on the very people that pay your salary, " Tax payers". You need to shut-up and fix the billion dollar mess L.A. is in. Oh by the way, thanks to you and people with your principals for this mess!!!!!

[Jon Hernandez]

You guys are funny! You really think Molina cares what you think? She will keep getting elected and she knows it. She will continue to cheat us, lie to us etc., but as long as she keeps the poor..poor and dependent on goverment, we will never see a change in the city of or county of LA. Why would she read a bill not even the pres, holder and janet have not read. Get in touch with your emotions and throw logic aside if you want to be a good liberal democrook. Or move to South OC like I did and maje sure the Orange Cutain stays up and surrounds santa ana so they cant get out.

[Abel]

BOYCOTT LOS ANGELES COUNTY!

[syscom3]

Arizon should also make a list of Californian business's that have relocated there and throw it in the faces of the boycott politicians. Remind them why they are in charge of a state that has failed.

LOL!

[Malby]

Yes, Gloria--how about doing something productive and meaningful for your district rather than a publicity stunt on the wrong side of a battle in another state? Everything going so well in SoCal that you can afford to share your wisdom with other states--how generous. BTW, restricting travel to AZ simply hurts the immigrants who will lose jobs. Withdrawing money from investments at abad time means taking an unjustifiable loss, and it's not your money. Breaking contracts means paying penalties, again, not your money!

[Joe]

I do not happen to agree with the AZ SB1070 law, there are a lot of ways of enforcing the immigration law. E-verify legal status of all workers. As simple as that. Anybody that does not comply, investigate, fine a heavy fee. As for this woman seeking that LA county boycotts any other neighbor state is just wrong.

[jay vasquez]

Gloria Molina is a washed up politician who represents illegal aliens and not U.S. citizens. What a hack. She's an idiot! Makes me embarrassed to be a Latino.

[Phyllis Rotwieler]

Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina and Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky are 2 Heroes for a great cause, maybe the last(hopefully) domestic fight were Americans can feel proud to be supporting against a wrong, that being SB1070 law in Arizona.

Our family is in Boston usually but we are retired and can now be anywhere in the USA to help Americans come together and get a badly written law repealed.

What's even easier for Americans to do is see Heroes like Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina and Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky bravely resist the status quo and take a mighty stand that we've read here in Boston about today. Well done, and thank you. Now if only Supervisor Mike Antonovich were as brave as the others.

[shira]

Wow, all of you angry politically-savvy people know Supervisor Molina is a County Supervisor not a City Supervisor right? And the County is not in a budget crisis so before you start criticizing her why don't you get the facts straight -- she is one of the reasons the County has been fiscally prudent and isn't having to layoff thousands or even hundreds of workers. Supervisor Molina is speaking out against a law that inhibits constitutional rights and using her political influence to stand up against blatant immigration the same way that Boston, New York City and Senate, San Fransisco, Austin Texas, San Diego, Oakland, Pasadena, and a few others have by passing Resolutions condemning and boycotting Arizona. In addition Arizona cities, Tuscon and Flagstaff, are also suing the state for its discriminatory law.

[dogrob1]

we should stop spending time and money on other issues not pertaining to the recovery of the state of California,Arizona has its own problems as we do...and we are tired of the elected officals trying to obtain their 15 mins.of fame Hollywood is dead at the moment,and don't contributed any further to the mismanagement of this state and its populous

[Andy]

Gloria, you're my hero. Ignore all these right wing bigots and do what is right. They are targeting the Latino community and are using illegals to justify their racist intentions. These are bad people that are trying to oppress Latino citizens much like they did to blacks in the 60's. Keep up the good work

[Duped Tax Payer]

There goes another moron politician. AZ is trying to reduce crime and LA is trying to bring all the crime.

[kuruc]

all i know is that i can freely carry a gun in arizona. i have a glock 19.molina yaroslawski, you two lifer politicians are welcome to come to arizona and disscus the boycott with me personally. i am armed , i hope you have guts.

[Carlos M.]

I'm happy to see that Supervisors Yaroslavsky (whom this Latino U.S. citizen voted for) and Molina have stepped up to show their opposition to that horrendous AZ law. I'm not surprised Antonovich is for that law. What do you expect from a Supervisor who was for Prop. 8?

[Dummy]

Let Gloria and Zev have their Race War . They can then get back to serious financial issues facing our County regarding remodeling their offices .

[Fed Up]

If all these politicians are so outraged about Arizona, why don't they push to have Arizona expelled from the US. The federal government doesn't seem to interested in enforcing federal immigration laws at the moment there anyways.

[BlazinBob]

I think AZ should just "pull the plug" on CA, we don't need their jobs and energy anyway! There's no problem here! Good job Gloria..once again you show what caliber politician you really are...

[Collis Huntington]

Those who enter and live in the US illegally are criminals. They are the human equivalent of an opportunistic infection. We must not be conned into accepting this lawlessness.

[shore500]

LA County is on the verge of bankruptcy, and has been for almost 12 years. Continued bailouts by the state have only kept it floating. Now that the state has gone belly -up, watch for LA county to do the same. It is irresponsible spending that has caused this scenario by the likes of Molina. Molina should be out trying to save her county from flat-lining instead of worrying about ways others have sought to control their budget. Does anyone not know--especially Molina--that AZ supplies 25% of California's power. They have said repeatedly that if CA or LA was to Boycott, they'd shut off the power.

Please everyone..make your voice heard at the polls next time these folks are on the ballot.

[Newman]

Gloria is retarded.....